"‘Behold, I send My messenger to prepare the way before Me, and the Lord Whom you seek will suddenly come to His Temple; the Messenger of the covenant in Whom you delight, behold, He is coming,’ says the Lord of hosts” quotes the prophet in Malachi 3:1 [RSV]. He then adds in verses 2-5, 2. “But who can endure the day of His coming, and who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap; 3. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, till they present right offerings to the Lord. 4. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years. 5. Then I will draw near to you for judgment; I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.” Malachi 3:1 spoke of two messengers who were to come. The first of these was to prepare the way of the Lord, and we see in the Gospels that John the Immerser fulfilled this. The second was to be the Messenger of the covenant, and this is Jesus Christ. Although there is general agreement about who these two messengers are, disagreement arises over whether verses 2-5 above from Malachi chapter 3 refer to the first advent of Jesus, or to His second coming at the end of time.
I am of the opinion that these still refer to Jesus’ first coming, and not His second, and here is why. During the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ, He did cleanse the Temple, not just on one occasion, but twice. The first of these two cleansings occurred at the beginning of His ministry as recorded by John in chapter 2 of his Gospel, and the second happened during the week of Jesus’ crucifixion, and it is recorded in Matthew 21, Mark 11 and Luke 19. Hence, the reference to the coming Messenger as being like a refiner and purifier of silver and a launderer (fuller) using soap to cleanse the filthy garments of the sons of Levi, the priests who had turned His Father’s house into a den of thieves, is understood.
When we submit to undergoing baptism, we, too, are said to be clothed in Christ (Galatians 3:27). Our sin-stained garments are replaced with the pure garments of Jesus. We are called to be a nation of priests, holy and acceptable to God since we are wrapped in His Son and our Savior. The Hebrews writer tells us Jesus is our High Priest in Hebrews 2:17 and John reveals that all of us who are washed in His blood are priests in His service and Kingdom: 5. Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of kings on Earth. To Him Who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood 6. and made us a Kingdom, priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. (Revelation 1:5b-6 [RSV]) Once again, we see Jesus fulfilling the purifying of the “sons of Levi” prophesied in Malachi with His first coming and the giving of the gospel plan of salvation. Because we are all “sons of Levi” through each and every one of us being priests of God who have been cleansed by His precious blood, we are all able to boldly and “with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:17 [RSV]).
Jesus fulfilling of this prophecy seems to me to have taken place during His first advent. Additionally, whenever individuals realized Who Jesus was, literally God in the flesh, they reacted as people always do when in the presence of the Almighty: They prostrated themselves in obeisance. No one can be in the presence of God without knowing of their unworthiness due to their sins. No man can “endure the day of His coming” for all are guilty and stand condemned, for “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 [RSV]).
Lastly, the prophecy of Malachi 3:2-5 teaches that when this advent of the Messenger, the prophesied Messiah to come, occurs, He will act as a cleanser, and not as a destroyer. “He is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap,” writes Malachi. The coming of this second Messenger will be awesome and terrible, but with a purpose. Both the refiner and the launderer work to clean, not to destroy. The purpose of Jesus’ first coming was not to destroy, but to cleanse us from our sins. As He Himself said in Luke 19:10 [RSV], “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” We have already noted how this cleansing and refining was accomplished when one chooses to obey the gospel. It is not until the second advent of the Lord occurs that He will come as a destroyer, for at that point He will crush all His enemies, with the last enemy destroyed being death (1 Corinthians 15:26).
I am of the opinion that these still refer to Jesus’ first coming, and not His second, and here is why. During the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ, He did cleanse the Temple, not just on one occasion, but twice. The first of these two cleansings occurred at the beginning of His ministry as recorded by John in chapter 2 of his Gospel, and the second happened during the week of Jesus’ crucifixion, and it is recorded in Matthew 21, Mark 11 and Luke 19. Hence, the reference to the coming Messenger as being like a refiner and purifier of silver and a launderer (fuller) using soap to cleanse the filthy garments of the sons of Levi, the priests who had turned His Father’s house into a den of thieves, is understood.
When we submit to undergoing baptism, we, too, are said to be clothed in Christ (Galatians 3:27). Our sin-stained garments are replaced with the pure garments of Jesus. We are called to be a nation of priests, holy and acceptable to God since we are wrapped in His Son and our Savior. The Hebrews writer tells us Jesus is our High Priest in Hebrews 2:17 and John reveals that all of us who are washed in His blood are priests in His service and Kingdom: 5. Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of kings on Earth. To Him Who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood 6. and made us a Kingdom, priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. (Revelation 1:5b-6 [RSV]) Once again, we see Jesus fulfilling the purifying of the “sons of Levi” prophesied in Malachi with His first coming and the giving of the gospel plan of salvation. Because we are all “sons of Levi” through each and every one of us being priests of God who have been cleansed by His precious blood, we are all able to boldly and “with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:17 [RSV]).
Jesus fulfilling of this prophecy seems to me to have taken place during His first advent. Additionally, whenever individuals realized Who Jesus was, literally God in the flesh, they reacted as people always do when in the presence of the Almighty: They prostrated themselves in obeisance. No one can be in the presence of God without knowing of their unworthiness due to their sins. No man can “endure the day of His coming” for all are guilty and stand condemned, for “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 [RSV]).
Lastly, the prophecy of Malachi 3:2-5 teaches that when this advent of the Messenger, the prophesied Messiah to come, occurs, He will act as a cleanser, and not as a destroyer. “He is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap,” writes Malachi. The coming of this second Messenger will be awesome and terrible, but with a purpose. Both the refiner and the launderer work to clean, not to destroy. The purpose of Jesus’ first coming was not to destroy, but to cleanse us from our sins. As He Himself said in Luke 19:10 [RSV], “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” We have already noted how this cleansing and refining was accomplished when one chooses to obey the gospel. It is not until the second advent of the Lord occurs that He will come as a destroyer, for at that point He will crush all His enemies, with the last enemy destroyed being death (1 Corinthians 15:26).
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