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Malachi.

God's love for Israel, the people's indifferent worship, and the coming day of the LORD.

Testament

Old Testament

Section

Minor Prophets

Chapters

4

Date

Mid-5th c. BC.

Who wrote Malachi?

Malachi (Hebrew "my messenger"; possibly a title).

Who was it written for?

The post-exilic community, drifting into spiritual complacency.

Structure

  • Six disputations between God and his people, plus a closing oracle promising Elijah.

Key verses

Why Malachi matters

The last book of the Old Testament — and what it points forward to is John the Baptist. The promise of Elijah's return (4:5–6) is what the angel quotes to Zechariah about John's birth in Luke 1:17. Between Malachi and Matthew lies four centuries of silence, but the last word the prophets leave the people with is "watch for the messenger."

Related tools

Read the book, then test it.

Kerygma's trivia rounds cover Malachi in the Minor Prophets stream — once you've sat with the overview, the questions go deeper into the text. Free for seven days.

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