Let us go to Malachi 4 and I will read the whole chapter. Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament. It says in Malachi 4:1-6:
For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith JEHOVAH of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith JEHOVAH of hosts. Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto 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 JEHOVAH: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
Going back to Malachi 4:1, we read:
For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven…
We were looking at this before when we got into Revelation 16. We saw that God, during the five of months of judgment, speaks of this as a time of an intense heat from the sun.
It says in Revelation 16:8-9:
And the fourth angel [messenger] poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
This word “scorch/scorched” that is found here twice is only found elsewhere in the parable of the sower. It is found once in Matthew 13 and once in Mark 4. In that parable, the sower who is God, Christ Himself, sows seed. We read of seed falling on various grounds.
Seed that falls on stony ground has no way to take deep root. There is no depth of ground, and so it says that when the sun rises it scorches that plant because it has no depth of earth and it has no root in itself.
We saw that, of course, Christ is the “root of Jesse.” He is the root that must be in a child of God or in the professed child of God in order to withstand the afflictions, the persecutions, and the tribulations that arise. This is the definition in the parable of what that scorching sun represents. It is when afflictions and tribulations arise for the Word’s sake.
At this time, spiritually, the sun is dark in all of the world, but this is a time of a great heat from the sun in the sense of tribulation and affliction. When May 21, especially, did not happen as we had thought it would happen, this initiated and began a time of scorching for those who had been following these things. This was really a fiery trial to really see if someone had Christ in their heart, to see if they had this root in themselves.
If they did not have this root, then when this period of affliction began, which has continued throughout these five months, they would end up falling away. They would end up not surviving.
Malachi 4 is referring to what we read in 1 Corinthians 3:11-13:
For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it…
Malachi 4:1 said:
For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven…
This is “the day.” It is not a literal 24-hour period. It is five months. God can do this and does do this in the Bible. He speaks of “the day of temptation in the wilderness” and it was 40 years. It was 40 years, but He called that 40-year period “the day.”
So Judgment Day began on May 21. It continues for 153 days in length, which is five months. October 21 is the last day of Judgment Day. It is all likened to one day. It is a day “that shall burn as an oven,” and 1 Corinthians 3:13 speaks of:
Every man's work shall be made manifest…
This means that the cover would be taken off and it would be revealed whether or not an individual is a true man, like Jesus said of Nathanael when He said, “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” This would also reveal someone who was not truly born again and not a true child of God, someone who does not have the Spirit of Christ.
It continues:
…for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
Do you feel like you are going through a trial? Have you felt this way? Well, it is true. It is very accurate to think this about this situation and about these days. Actually, this has been true for the whole great tribulation. This was also a trial period, a testing period. This has continued into the five months and we are not through it. We are not through it yet.
If someone is continuing faithfully and following the truths of the Bible to this point, this is great evidence that in all likelihood you are “gold, silver, precious stones.” This is because the fire has been burning hotly and it has been a scorcher. If you are continuing to hang on, this is great evidence.
After May 21, the believers became a mockery to the world. The churches believe that we are heretics. Our families might believe that we are crazy. Our friends might have shunned us, and so on.
So if you are still hanging on, this is good news, even after those who you were side by side with during the days leading up to May 21 and who were declaring these things with you to the world have also now turned. We are truthfully living in the day when “every brother will utterly supplant.” They also have turned and are pointing the finger, just like the church and just like the world in many ways. Yet if you are still here and you have not gone anywhere, if you have not left the truths of the Bible, if you still believe what God says about the timeline of history, why is this?
Well, this is not because man said it; it is because it is the truth. It is the truth even though we were severely tried and tested, because there were certain things that we were incorrect about. We were incorrect about the rapture happening on May 21 and a worldwide physical earthquake occurring. Yet we know that we did not have these things perfect and that we did not know these things exactly and that we need God to show us all truth, but we have seen how everything else does fit. This is coming from the Bible and we trust the Bible, and so we are waiting on the Lord.
This is the key. We are waiting on the Lord. We are doing this patiently. Even though we have done the will of God, we are still waiting on Him to see how He is going to work all things out. This is where the true believer will be found and this is evidence. This is strong evidence at this point. This is very strong evidence that someone is a child of God.
For anyone who maybe has gone away from these things, maybe you have not gone back to the church and have just backed away from these teachings from the Bible. It is not too late. It is not too late. This is not good evidence at all, but if you are troubled and concerned, you can go to the Lord. This is like any other sin. Go to Him and beseech Him that He would strengthen you. You can still return. This would perhaps be an evidence that God had done a work of salvation within you before May 21 came.
Let us continue to read in 1 Corinthians 3:13:
…because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
Either it is the work of Christ in saving us or it is some work of our own to get ourself saved.
Then we read in 1 Corinthians 3:14-15:
If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
This would be the work of those who shared the Gospel with the world and some began to believe. Some are true believers; they actually became saved. Others are not and they will be burned up. They will be destroyed in this fire.
Let us go to Joel 2. This is a chapter that parallels Revelation 9 with the locusts and also with the 200 million horsemen. The horsemen are completely identified with fire and brimstone in Revelation 9. It says in Joel 2:1-5:
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of JEHOVAH cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.
These are God’s 200 million. He saved the last one on May 21. This began Judgment Day. This action of saving all of those whose names were in the Lamb’s Book of Life is the torment that comes on the rest of mankind, because there is no more possibility to become saved. Everyone to be saved was saved. This is the spark that kindled the fire that devoured all of those unsaved individuals. This is spiritual at first, as spiritual fire and brimstone is falling at this point. Then finally on the last day, all of the unsaved people will be literally burned up.
This is how this world ends. This is how God will destroy the universe and destroy the works therein of this world. This will be with a fervent heat and man will be burned up and cease to exist.
Here, it speaks of the horsemen devouring the stubble. If you remember, we read in Malachi 4:1:
For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble…
This is what is currently going on. This is what God has been doing. We see that God is likening this time to an intense heat from the sun. Malachi 4:1 even says that “the day cometh,” and so the sun is rising and the day comes.
Let us go back to Genesis 19. This is the account of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. This was pointed out by a caller on the Friday Night Bible Study a couple of weeks ago. This is really a good point. It says in Genesis 19:22, where God is speaking to Lot:
Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
God could not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah until Lot made it to Zoar. He had already left the city. His two daughters and his wife left with him, but God did not rain fire and brimstone as soon as they left the city. He said to Lot, “You must go to Zoar.” He could do nothing until Lot stepped foot into Zoar.
Look at Genesis 19:23-24:
The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. Then JEHOVAH rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from JEHOVAH out of heaven;
He would not rain down fire and brimstone until Lot entered into Zoar.
2 Peter 2 tells us that Lot was righteous. He had his righteous soul vexed from day to day. He is a picture of all of God’s people who are righteous because of Christ’s righteousness. God is indicating that He could not bring judgment until a certain point.
This is just as Abraham was interceding in the previous chapter of Genesis, “Will You destroy the city of Sodom if there are fifty righteous?” He asked the same for 45, 40, 30, and 10. God said, “Far be it from the Lord to destroy the righteous with the wicked.” He will not do that.
In other words, He would not have brought Judgment Day on May 21 unless every righteous person, all of His elect, had first made it safely into Zoar, we could say. Why Zoar? Zoar is said to be a little city.
In Ecclesiastes 9:14-15, we read about a little city:
There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
So there is a little city that a poor wise man delivers. Who would this poor wise man be? He would be Jesus who is wisdom Himself, and it is a little city with few men and “many be called, but few chosen.” It is a remnant of the world.
That is all that the elect are. We are a little city and Christ delivers Zoar. Yet God would not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone until the moment Lot, the righteous one, entered in. As soon as Lot stepped across that boundary, then fire and brimstone began to fall.
So we can understand that it is not possible that God has yet to save people today. He would not have brought Judgment Day on May 21 if this were true. You cannot say, in other words, that this is Judgment Day and that God is still saving. These do not go hand in hand. They do not go together at all. Either it is Judgment Day or it is not Judgment Day. It is only one or the other. Anybody who is saying that it is Judgment Day but that God will save right up until October 21 has it all wrong. This cannot be.
Here, God waited patiently, like the husbandman waiting for the early and latter rain before he brings in the precious fruit. The latter rain fell. It completely fell and it is done. It finished on May 21. Once this happened, then He gathered the fruit. He got all of His elect safely delivered, typified here by entering into Zoar.
The thing that the person pointed out was that the sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. We know immediately after the tribulation that the sun was darkened, the moon was not giving its light, and the stars fell. And so this is not talking about the light of the Gospel. This is talking about the scorching sun of Revelation 16, the sun that burns spiritually, the sun that burns away the dross, the sun that is burning like an oven. This sun rose the same time that Lot entered into Zoar.
Look at Genesis 19:25:
And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
So the fire and brimstone was a judgment on the fruit, on the plants of Sodom. We know that God says in Deuteronomy 29 that we cannot sow ground that has been desolated by fire and brimstone. This is why we are not sowing the Gospel today. This is because this is a spiritual recognition that it is Judgment Day and that God is raining fire and brimstone all over the earth.
The other thing that I wanted to mention is where Jesus makes the statement, “It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.” Keep in mind that this does not mention people. It says “the land of Sodom” in Matthew 10 and in Matthew 11. It contrasts it with “that city,” which is also not mentioning people.
So the idea that some have that it would be more tolerable for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah is not what God is saying. He is saying “the land of Sodom,” because that land was rained on with fire and brimstone, yet that was a long time ago. That land could be cultivated again at some point in centuries after maybe and fruit could grow on that land once again; but spiritually in the Day of Judgment, you cannot ever grow anything on the ground of all the earth at this time because this is an eternal and final judgment where spiritually no fruit will ever grow again; that is, no one will ever become saved.
Look at Genesis 19:26:
But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
This verse never made sense as to its placement before. This never made sense. This is because they fled Sodom and Gomorrah, then they entered into Zoar, and then fire and brimstone fell. But we had always thought that this was the end of the world.
So, here, we read of Lot’s wife. She must have been such a dutiful wife. We could almost say that she was faithful, and maybe she was a faithful wife. She followed her husband out of Sodom with her two daughters, even though she had other family back there. She had other concerns back there, but she obeyed. She followed along with her husband and left Sodom. Not only that, but she went to Zoar.
God is not interested in her or her two daughters, by the way. It was Lot, the righteous one, whom He was concerned about as the one entering into Zoar. This was because Lot typified the elect. But the two daughters went into Zoar with Lot, and his wife went into Zoar.
This just never made sense. I had wondered if God was placing Genesis 19:26 where the wife looks back, but just not chronologically. This is how we have understood this before. God was just not telling us this history chronologically, but He is giving us a chronological history and this now makes perfect sense because we look at this spiritually.
May 21 was Judgment Day, which is the day typified by Lot entering Zoar and fire and brimstone falling immediately. Lot goes into Zoar, that little city, with his wife and his two daughters. It is from that point after May 21 that she looks back. She looks back to Sodom, to the world, to whatever it is. She is looking back and we can see how this relates to many, many people. Many people began questioning everything.
It is fine to question things. It is fine to question, to examine the Bible, to re-check things to see if we were correct and to re-study, but this shook people to the core. They began throwing out faithful things and thinking that the whole calendar was off and so on.
Unfortunately, they looked back and Lot’s wife is an historical example that is demonstrating what has happened over the course of these five months as individuals were severely tested when “the sun was risen upon the earth.” This is what Genesis 19:23 tells us. It was that scorching that was to try men, that fiery trial to find out who is gold, silver, precious stone, and who is wood, hay, stubble. Lot’s wife, of course, was not truly saved. This is why she became a pillar of salt. God judged her and salt relates to judgment in the Bible.
Let us go back to Malachi 4:1:
For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven…
This word “burn” is ba'ar:H1197. There is a second word for “burn” that is a different Hebrew word.
It continues:
…and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up…
This is a different Hebrew word. This is lahat:H3857 in the Strong’s Concordance. This is why we need to check out words. In the English, we would think that they are the same word, but they are not. This word is used in eleven verses in the Old Testament.
This has a related word in the Strong’s Concordance, which is lahat:H3858. It is the next word. This word has the same consonants and almost exactly the same vowel points, except 3858 has a strong “a” sound and 3857, the one here in Malachi, has a short “a” sound, but the consonants are the same and the rest of the vowel pointing is the same. Basically, 3857 and 3858 are the same word, especially when we realize that the vowel pointing was added to the Old Testament. God did not include this in the original. And so we know that this is the same word.
This word 3858 is only found once and that is in Genesis 3 in regards to the tree of life. We read in Genesis 3:22-24:
And JEHOVAH God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore JEHOVAH God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
This word “flaming” is the word “burn” from Malachi 4:1, except it is the different Strong’s number.
Here, we find this very unusual statement that God makes where there is a tree of life and it is at the east of the garden of Eden. Of course, we understand that this is the direction of the Kingdom of God. We have seen this again and again. We are not surprised that at the east of the Garden of Eden are Cherubims. Cherubims would be representative of God Himself. Then we read of a flaming sword.
The sword would be the Word of God. The Word of God is “quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit.” This one, though, is flaming. It is a burning sword that turns every way “to keep the way of the tree of life.”
I know that people are tired of me mentioning the “Ten Commandments” movie, but there is also the “Raiders of the Lost Ark” movie where he is on a quest to find the lost ark and it is just a perilous way. There are all sorts of dangers that are guarding the Ark.
In a way, this comes right from this image that God is giving us of the tree of life and of this flaming sword. The idea of this flaming sword is that it is going to kill you. It is going to burn you up if you try to go past it on your own or unadvisedly or unwisely. You are going to be killed. You are going to be slain in your quest to reach the tree of life.
This has been the case and describes the religious history of mankind, of all of the world’s religions. They are trying to get to the tree of life. Without fail, the Buddhists are burned up and the Muslims are burned up and the Hindus and every other religion. This is because, as it says, it is to keep “the way” and Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” He is “the way.”
So number one, if you do not have Christ, you cannot get to the tree of life. There is no possibility because there is “none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” This rules out every religion.
But then we have all of the Christian gospels and all of the Christian religions and they are trying another tactic. They realize that these others cannot get to the tree of life; however, if they use the Bible or if they use Christian trappings and the name of Christ, certainly this will get them to the tree of life.
Guess what? They get burned up, too. Actually, this is exactly what happened the very first day of Judgment Day. All of those in the churches, in all Christendom, in all of the churches of the world were bundled as a tare for the burning and they were burned, spiritually and immediately on Judgment Day. They did not make it to the way of the tree of life.
The Bible tells us that it is a narrow way. It is through much tribulation that we enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. It is a dangerous way. There is nothing easy about the way to go into Heaven, except that the one, who by God’s grace and mercy will finally make it through, realizes that the thing to do to get into “the way” is to do nothing and that he cannot get through it. It is a recognition of the impossibility of the task.
We cannot get through the judgment of God. We cannot pass this way that He has guarded with this flaming sword on our own merit or by our own works in any way possible. It is only through the work of Christ that He has done to save His people.
The flaming burning sword is guarding the way of the tree of lie, so let us look at the tree of life in a couple of places. Let us go to Proverbs 3:13 and 18. We read in Proverbs 3:13:
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
This is talking about wisdom. Then we read in Proverbs 3:18:
She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.
So wisdom is a tree of life and the Bible tells us that Christ is wisdom. Therefore, this identifies the tree of life itself as Jesus. He is the One who is the essence of life. He is eternal life. This is what the tree of life is able to do. It is able to give eternal life.
Look at Isaiah 65. God is speaking of the new Heaven and the new earth in Isaiah 65:17:
For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
This “former” is this life. It is this world. We will not remember this, none of it. We will not have memories of last year or our childhood or the people in our lives. It is absolutely necessary that all of this be forgotten. This is absolutely necessary because sin is interwoven into everything in this world.
We think that we have innocent memories, but you might think back to a ballgame when you were just a little boy or girl. Maybe you were with your dad at the Phillies game and what is bad about this? Well, it was a Sunday game. Is this not the Sabbath Day and is this not a violation of the Sunday Sabbath? You do not think this when you are remembering how nice it was to have a hot dog and a cola. Maybe you just love your step-mom, but then you realize that your dad got divorced and remarried and divorce is a violation of God’s commandment and we are not to be remarried. Sin is so interwoven into everything that it is just necessary that this life not be remembered.
So how will we know that Christ is the great Saviour? I do not know, but we will. We are going to know this actually and truly. God will just implant this within us. We will know that we have been redeemed and we will know that He is extremely merciful and all of the things that He has put on display in this world. But we will not have memories that would be tainted by sin.
Then we read in Isaiah 65:18-22:
But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
“As the days of a tree,” the tree of life, “are the days of my people.” If you had been able to have eaten of the tree of life that God set in the garden, you would have lived forever. God is indicating that His people will live forever. As Christ, the tree of life, is eternal, they will be given eternal life.
In Revelation 2:7, we also read about this tree of life:
…To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
This would be Heaven. This is where Christ dwells and this is where the tree of life is found.
Go a little further in Revelation to Revelation 22. We read in Revelation 22:1-2:
And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
The tree of life is in the midst of the river and on either side of the river. This sounds like three trees, and yet this is singular. It is “the” tree of life.
We can understand this. This is demonstrating that God is three Persons yet One. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all the tree of life. We cannot separate One from the other. God is God and He is One God. He Himself in His very being is life and He is typified by the tree of life. This tree bears fruit and it says:
…the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
In Ezekiel 47, we do not have a commentary on Revelation. Revelation is actually a commentary on this. Revelation 22 is taking the image from Ezekiel 47 of the water that is clear as crystal and that is proceeding from the throne. We find in Ezekiel 47:1-8:
Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side. And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river. Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.
Remember that the leaves of the tree of life were for the healing of the nations.
Then we read in Ezekiel 47:9-12:
And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish…
We can think of John 21 where we read of 153 fish, a great catch of fish.
It continues:
…because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh. And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many. But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt. And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.
This is the healing of sin-sick souls, the healing of sin-sick bodies, these bodies that we have, the cancer, all sorts of diseases and injuries, all of the weaknesses of our bodies. These are the waters of God that flow forth from Christ Himself and they are for the healing of all of His people.
This will be an everlasting healing, as it says in Revelation 22:3:
And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
What does it mean by “no more curse”? Look at Revelation 21:3-5:
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
This is what God is about to do. This is what we are looking forward to in a few days, the completion of God’s salvation plan. Finally, God’s people will enter into Heaven in totality, all of the elect dwelling with Him forevermore and partaking of the tree of life to receive eternal life, that gift that comes completely by His grace and completely as a result of what Christ has done for His people.
In closing, let us go back to Malachi 4. I will read Malachi 4:1 again:
For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith JEHOVAH of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
They will not have Christ who is typified by a root. He is also typified by a branch in the Old Testament. They are not going to have Christ.
Isaiah 5:24 tells us about their root. Their root is not going to help them. This says:
Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of JEHOVAH of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
So this root is of no help at all, nor the branch. Remember that Jesus is typified as the branch, but so are followers of Christ.
We read in John 15:6:
If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
Again, we have to be in Christ. We need Him within us. We need true salvation and God has to work this out. Man cannot get himself saved and never could. And now there is no possibility of salvation at all.
Going back to Malachi 4:2, it says:
But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
We saw before how there is spiritual darkness in all of the earth, but in one place there is light. This one place is within the great multitude whom God has saved, as it says in Isaiah 60:1-2:
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of JEHOVAH is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but JEHOVAH shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
This is where the light is. It is arising within the hearts of those who were previously in darkness in their souls, but God saved them.
So the Sun of righteousness is arising with healing in His wings. We saw that the tree is for the healing of the nations. The waters go forth. Wherever they go, they bring life and healing. This is the nature of the Gospel. This is what God has done.
One last thing is where it says in Malachi 4:2:
…ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
Look at Amos 6:3-4:
Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near; That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;
The only reason I read this is to show that lambs of the flock and calves of the stall are synonyms.
We know that, again and again, God is referring to feeding sheep at this time. He is the Good Shepherd who leads His people, as we saw with Moses leading Israel through the Red Sea. He is leading us out of the sheepfold. After He gathered the last one, the door of the sheepfold shut and He is leading us to the Promised Land.
We can understand this as we just have this image better in our minds:
…ye shall go forth, and grow up as [lambs of the flock].
This is what God is doing now at this time.
We will stop here.