Malachi 3:5. And I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers— God tells them, that he will hasten the day of his vengeance, and that it shall come speedily upon those whose sins are become epidemical; and if they refuse to repent on the preaching of the Gospel, he will proceed to destroy the nation utterly. This may also farther refer to the second coming of our Lord to judge both quick and dead. See Lowth and Calmet. read more
2. (Malachi 4:1; Revelation 6:16; Revelation 6:17). The Messiah would come, not, as they expected, to flatter the theocratic nation's prejudices, but to subject their principles to the fiery test of His heart-searching truth (Revelation 6:17- :), and to destroy Jerusalem and the theocracy after they had rejected Him. His mission is here regarded as a whole from the first to the second advent: the process of refining and separating the godly from the ungodly beginning during Christ's stay on... read more
3. sit—The purifier sits before the crucible, fixing his eye on the metal, and taking care that the fire be not too hot, and keeping the metal in, only until he knows the dross to be completely removed by his seeing his own image reflected (Romans 8:29) in the glowing mass. So the Lord in the case of His elect (Job 23:10; Psalms 66:10; Proverbs 17:3; Isaiah 48:10; Hebrews 12:10; 1 Peter 1:7). He will sit down to the work, not perfunctorily, but with patient love and unflinching justice. The... read more
4. as in the days of old— (Malachi 1:11; Malachi 2:5; Malachi 2:6). The "offering" (Mincha, Hebrew) is not expiatory, but prayer, thanksgiving, and self-dedication (Romans 12:1; Hebrews 13:15; 1 Peter 2:5). read more
5. I . . . come near . . . to judgment—I whom ye challenged, saying, "Where is the God of judgment?" ( :-). I whom ye think far off, and to be slow in judgment, am "near," and will come as a "swift witness"; not only a judge, but also an eye-witness against sorcerers; for Mine eyes see every sin, though ye think I take no heed. Earthly judges need witnesses to enable them to decide aright: I alone need none (Psalms 10:11; Psalms 73:11; Psalms 94:7, c.). sorcerers—a sin into which the Jews were... read more
E. Negative motivation: the coming messenger of judgment 3:1-6Like the first address (Malachi 1:2 to Malachi 2:9), this one ends with more motivation. Unpleasant things would happen if the people failed to change in their dealings with one another. The warning centers around the coming of another messenger whose arrival would bring judgment in the future. This section contains four predictions (Malachi 3:1 a, Malachi 3:1 b, Malachi 3:3, Malachi 3:5). read more
When the Lord came suddenly to His temple, no one would be able to stand before Him. Elsewhere the prophets foretold that this time would be a day of judgment on the whole world marked by disaster and death (Malachi 4:1; Isaiah 2:12; Joel 3:11-16; Amos 5:18-21; Zechariah 1:14-17). Here Malachi said no one would be able to endure His coming because He would purify the priesthood, the people who stood closest to Him. As a fire He would burn up the impurities of the priests, and as a laundryman’s... read more
After this cleansing of the priests, Judah and Jerusalem (i.e., all Israel) would be able to offer sacrifices that would please the Lord, in contrast to the present ones that did not (cf. Malachi 1:13-14). They would be acceptable like the offerings the priests offered earlier in Israel’s history, before the priesthood had become corrupt. read more
At that time the Lord assured His people that He would draw near to them, but it would be for judgment. He would quickly judge all types of sin that they practiced, whereas in Malachi’s day, and now, He waits to judge (cf. 2 Peter 3:9-10). The Levites would not be the only Jews He judged; all the Israelites living then would come under His judgment (cf. Ezekiel 20:34-38). He would judge them for all types of activity forbidden for His people: sorcery; adultery; lying; oppression of employees,... read more
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Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Malachi 3:3
Malachi 3:3. And he shall purify the sons of Levi— Not all of them; for the similitude is taken from gold and silver; which being purified, there remains some dross behind. So it happened after the ministration of the Lord Jesus Christ; a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith, Acts 6:7. Of the other sons of Levi, who did not believe in Christ, but wilfully rejected him, it is just before said, Who may abide the day of his coming, when, the metal being purified, he will cast... read more